This shows you how I feel today. I’m not aware of any sleeping problems last night – I just feel incredibly lazy today.
I made two phone calls this morning first thing –
I’m pretty much deciding that my next big project will be getting my books under control – going through what I have, deciding what can be donated, and reorganizing the rest. I’ll continue what I have started upstairs and work my way down. We have books in almost every room, so this will take awhile.
I wish you a good Monday.
I’ve been trying to eat more in the Mediterranean style, including LOTS more veggies and fruit in our diet. I’m also trying to find veggies that won’t cause a divorce after almost 54 years of marriage, since my husband – who is not veggie-averse, leans toward veggie-intolerant. So far, I’m on my own on recipes.
I’ve looked at LOTS of beginning Mediterranean recipes and am frustrated. Not only do they feature veggies I KNOW my husband won’t eat, they throw in chick peas, quinoa, olives, and kale. I would be fine with a bunch of this, but these are simply no-go in this house. Bah. Humbug.
So far, I’ve been successful making our ‘regular’ recipes, adapting them for “less meat and more veggies,” adding more veggies to stews and casseroles, relying heavily on individual frozen dinners so that my husband gets a break while still eating healthy and I can choose the ones with the heavier proportion of veggies. A mixed bag.
Filed under DIET!, Mediterranean Eating Plan + Recipes
We are possibly going to have rain today – scattered showers and storms. We also have rain forecast for Monday through Thursday of the coming week. I’m just hoping for a really good, thorough watering that will stop the worry about wildfires and give all the plants a nice, deep drink.
Quick Run-Down – Hips better. Knees still hurting. Still too much lard. Still old. :0)
Plan for the day – catch up – laundry-change sheets-filing-balance checkbooks-bill paying-yoga-book reorganization-etc. Exciting, huh!
I’m feeling lucky this morning for all I have and can enjoy. It’s a day to pause, reflect, and give thanks.
Happy Sunday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Filed under ceramics, Clay Art, Fiona Tunnicliffe Pottery
I have gained 5 pounds since I switched from Low-Carb eating to Mediterranean style eating. I’m trying to take one day – one meal – at a time, but the 5 pounds is a round number that I really don’t like. If that were all I had to lose, I would look at it more calmly – but it’s just the tip of the iceberg I’ve been trying to lose for quite awhile now.
Add to that – my hips and knees have been strenuously talking to me for the past week, making it much harder to do my daily yoga session. I’ve modified that, trying to do all my poses, but fewer reps or not pushing quite so hard, adding muscle gel and Tylenol to the mix, trying to exercise my way through it. (I’m on DAY 36 today.)
The good news is that my digestion is good now. My body seems to really like the increase in veggies and fruit. I’m not having to take ANY medications now related to this, and for that I’m grateful.
I’m just ‘making a note’ that I’ll be happier when there is less of me.
I hope you’re feeling energetic and sassy today.
It’s Friday, so it’s Lunch Bunch in a bit followed by a couple of errands. I’m mailing the Christmas cards my friend asked me to paint so she can send them to her friends this year.
I haven’t decided what I’ll tackle when we get home. I’m still working on trying to rearrange the part of my book collection that lives upstairs. I’ll probably continue working on that this afternoon. No other big plans yet.
Filed under Bryony Jennings Textile Art, Embroidery/Sewing Art
Hi! We’re having another ‘cool’ day, at 86, for the high this afternoon. We tried to just have open doors and ceiling fans yesterday, but it was too humid. It’s humid again this morning, so we’re going to keep the a/c on, but I’ll take it. Such a nice relief.
I had a good time in the art room yesterday and finished the cards that I hope my friend will like. I sent her pics to see what she says.
Today is DAY 34 of my daily yoga practice. I’m having to push myself again, because my hips and knees have been talking to me for the past several days, but I’m concentrating on slow and steady, with fewer reps to get me through it.
I’m now muttering to my scales that I don’t appreciate “sarcastic scale humor” whatsoever, but mine is delighting in its newfound ability to smirk and laugh at me. One of these days, I’ll wipe the smile off its face.
Just as I’m finishing my ‘last’ Linda Thomas paperback, I received part of my new order of her books yesterday. It’s getting harder to find used paperbacks by Linda Thomas, but I’ll redouble my efforts when I start getting low again. Right now I feel rich in books. :0)
One of the things on my to-do list today is to work on reorganizing some of my books. Hopefully, by the end of the day, I’ll have a better handle on things.
Have a wonderful day.
It’s just my luck to have a set of sarcastic scales with a mean sense of humor.
Mine are beside themselves with mirth right now, seeing I’ve gained some unwanted poundage. Each day lately I’m assaulted with various ‘faces’ reacting with glee that I’ve gained another half pound. Bah. Humbug.
Regardless of the snide-ness of my scales, I’m trying to take one day at a time, eat only healthy foods, cut my portions, drink more water, and move more. Eventually, I’ll shut the scales up, or at least make them respect my efforts.
I officially admit to being wrong in my opinion that water is impossible to paint. I’m truly in awe of people who can paint water or snow, though, and these paintings remind us how MUCH talent and beauty abound in our world.
Filed under water paintings
The HIGH is forecast to be 85 today and it RAINED overnight and is still raining a bit. HOOORRAAAAAAY! Yesterday 106 – today 85. It’s like we are on a different planet. NICE, NICE relief! My husband slept in this morning and just got up a few minutes ago. GREAT morning to sleep. We’ll go out in a bit, get our mail, see if our trash was picked up yesterday, see if any UPS deliveries are hanging on our robot, and then replenish some supplies.
There are few have-to’s today, so I’ll play things by ear and just do a bit of cleaning, a bit of cooking, a bit of painting – just generally trying to make it a great day.
Enjoy your Wednesday!
Filed under Uncategorized
It’s 101 degrees F. here today. With the heat index, it feels like 106 at the moment. I just went outside to check why the garage pad alarm went off, and it was the cat, who finally decided it was uncivilized outside and wanted to come in. The heat hit me in the face the minute I opened the garage people door, not to mention when I got out in the sun.
We MAY get some rain overnight or tomorrow morning. MAY is the operational word. I would be very grateful if we did and the heat slacked off, even for part of a day.
We were up reading from 1:30 until around 3 this morning. Both of us were having trouble falling and staying asleep. We tried again about 3am and managed to get a few hours. I felt groggy, though, now, and am drinking some coffee, trying to feel alert.
Filed under Mother Nature
Filed under Clay Art, Shelley Tincher Buonaiuto Clayworks
Filed under Clay Art
He’s making a wish as the dandelion blows apart! I love it.
We have a squirrel who would like to compete on the cuteness scale. His specialty lately is hanging by his feet from the top of the bird feeder to where he can get the seed. It’s quite impressive. So far, he won’t allow me to get a photo of him. I think he deserves every seed he can eat. I would encourage him to enter the Squirrel Olympics if there were such.
I had a nice chat online with our son this morning. Newsy, NICE exchange, and it started my morning off super well! :0)
I will probably finish the Christmas cards I’m painting for my dear friend today and will start flattening them. This has been a really fun project. She suggested that I put her design, plus the one I did for my local friends, on Etsy as custom card packages. I’ll do that, as soon as I can get some pics.
Today is DAY 32 of my daily yoga practice. My husband is getting into the habit of grabbing his throw when I come into the living room to do my session, flipping on the ceiling fan – so the habit/routine/regimen part of my exercise is building – at least in my husband’s reaction to it.
Hope springs eternal that the leaf bag of trash I drove down to the bottom of the driveway this morning will actually be picked up today. Fingers – and all other appendages – are crossed for success.
Happy Tuesday!
I found her work today and fell in love with her “Laughing Ladies.” I researched a bit and discovered she lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas! Her work makes me feel good all over. I wish I could buy ALL of the ladies –
Filed under Clay Art, Shelley Tincher Buonaiuto Clayworks
Reading for pleasure is a very personal thing – unique to each individual.
My husband and I don’t even use the same SALT, so it hasn’t surprised me that our reading tastes are so vastly different.
We do agree on a few authors – Robert B. Parker and Lee Child – to name two just off the top of my head. I was surprised, though, that my husband decided to try one of Linda Howard’s books recently. She is a ‘new’ author to me – recommended by a friend – and I enjoy her writing a lot. I’ve just ordered my third ‘tranche’ of used paperback books by her. My husband likes her work, too, and so now we have a new thing so we can keep track.
I have a list on my computer of the books of hers I have ordered and read. We keep the actual books I’ve received on our communal desk area in the middle of the room between our computer areas in our office. They stay there until both of us have read them, and then they find their way upstairs. We have agreed to check with each other before the books go on the stairs to be taken up. :0)
I’m proven wrong AGAIN – a THIRD time, so far – on water being impossible to paint. I guess I’ll modify my thoughts to “It’s impossible for ME to paint water.” I find these water paintings simply stunning.
Filed under water paintings
Isn’t he a sweetie? My heart melted when I found him. I think we should definitely play with him, or at least take him for a walk.
We’re set for a joyfully quiet week where I’ll try to catch up on some stuff, play in my art room, continue reading my book, listen to music, play with our animals, find things for the blog, do my yoga, plus do some have-to’s that have been piling up around the house. I’ll sandwich in a have-to between lots of want-to’s.
I hope your Monday is a happy one.
I told you that I thought painting water was impossible. Then I showed you the work of Leonore Bernair. Today I found another artist who paints water gloriously, too. His name is Richard Johnson.
Richard Johnson – Addison Gallery
Filed under water paintings
creativeartworksblog 